Once the intellectual hub of the ancient world, Alexandria is now Egypt’s second-largest city and the country’s main gateway to the Mediterranean. It was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE and became home to the famous Library of Alexandria and the Lighthouse of Pharos—once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
For nearly 1,000 years, Alexandria played a central role in Mediterranean culture, trade, and learning. Today, with over 5 million residents, it’s still Egypt’s busiest port and a popular summer getaway for those looking to escape Cairo’s inland heat. Here are the best things to do in Alexandria.
These catacombs are one of the most fascinating places to explore in Alexandria. The story goes that they were found by accident in 1900—after a donkey fell through the ground. They go three levels underground. Inside, you’ll find carvings of Egyptian gods in Roman gear and Greek-style columns, especially in the main burial chamber.
As you head down the spiral staircase, you’ll pass chambers used for different rituals. One of the most unique is the so-called Caracalla Hall, where archaeologists found both human and horse remains, likely part of a funeral rite. There’s also a banquet hall where families once held meals in honor of the dead. The best tours of Egypt are likely to make a stop here.
The catacombs kom el shoqafa, top tourism sights in Alexandria, Egypt © Justina Elgaafary/Shutterstock
This is the only Roman amphitheater ever discovered in Egypt, and it’s surprisingly well preserved. Built in the 4th century AD and found by accident in 1960, the space isn’t shaped like the typical oval arena. Instead, it’s a horseshoe, likely used for musical performances and small-scale gladiator matches, with room for around 800 people. This is easily one of the best things to do in Egypt.
You can walk the 13 semicircular tiers and check out the mosaics and granite columns topped with Corinthian capitals. Under the stage, there’s a system of ancient hydraulics that once created special effects, including flooding the floor for simulated naval battles.
The acoustics are great too—stand on one side of the stage and you can still hear a whisper from the other. Excavations are still going on, and new finds from the Ptolemaic to Byzantine periods turn up fairly often.
This museum is set inside a restored 1920s Italian-style villa, and it does a great job of walking you through Alexandria’s layered past without feeling too dense or overwhelming. The layout is simple: three floors, arranged by era—Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, and Islamic/Modern Egypt.
This is a curated collection of about 1,800 artifacts, including pieces recovered from underwater excavations in the harbor (yes, parts of ancient Alexandria are literally underwater). There’s also a mix of unexpected finds—like some of Napoleon’s papers discovered stashed inside a wall—and personal items that belonged to King Farouk.
One of the more unique touches is the mummies displayed alongside CT scans, which show what’s underneath without needing to unwrap anything.
The museum has multilingual labels and clear explanations, which help make sense of how Alexandria developed as a meeting point for different cultures. The building is fully air-conditioned, which is a nice break if you're visiting in the hotter months. Our Egypt travel tips give a couple more ideas to escape the heat.
Mosaic with Gorgon Medusa, Alexandria National Museum © Carole Raddato
This modern library is built as a kind of tribute to the ancient Library of Alexandria—less a replica, more a symbolic continuation. The building is massive and round, with a sloped roof that tilts like the rising sun. It’s right on the water, and the design alone is worth seeing.
Inside, it’s not just a library. There are millions of books, of course, but also several museums, galleries, a planetarium, and rotating exhibits.
The whole space is open to the public and works well for a mix of interests. If you're interested in architecture, rare books, science, or history, there’s something to poke around in. The Science Museum and planetarium are good for kids (see our guide to Egypt with kids), and the “Impressions of Alexandria” exhibit does a great job of overviewing the city’s multicultural history.
You don’t have to spend all day here, but it’s what to do in Alexandria if you want an hour or two to wander.
This modern library is built as a kind of tribute to the ancient Library of Alexandria © Shutterstock
This is Alexandria’s largest mosque and a key religious site in the city, built in honor of a 13th-century Sufi saint from Andalusia. The current building dates to the 1940s, and it really stands out with its tall minaret, big domes, and soft cream-colored walls.
The interior draws on both Egyptian and Andalusian styles, with intricate Arabic calligraphy, glass chandeliers, and patterned mosaic tiles throughout. The prayer hall has a calm, open feel, and during Friday prayers or festivals, the place fills with local worshippers.
You don’t have to be Muslim to visit, but modest dress is expected—long pants or a skirt, and covered shoulders. It’s a working mosque, so it’s worth visiting outside of prayer times if you’re just looking to take in the space.
Montazah Palace Gardens stretch across 370 acres right along the Mediterranean, with manicured paths and lawns meeting the edge of the Mediterranean .
Once the summer escape of Egypt’s royal family, the grounds include two palaces: the Salamlek, built in 1892 with an Austrian-style design, and the larger Haramlek, completed in 1932, which mixes Turkish and Florentine architecture.
It’s a peaceful place to walk around—there are shaded paths, flower beds, and plenty of palm trees. The sea views are great, and you’ll find small bridges and gazebos tucked into the landscape. It’s especially nice in spring when the gardens are in bloom.
There’s also an old royal train station near the entrance and a pavilion on what’s known as Tea Island, both worth checking out.
This museum stands inside the former palace of Princess Fatima Al-Zahra, a building that still has its original Art Nouveau and Rococo details—painted ceilings, carved wood doors, and stained glass windows. It’s a relatively small museum, but it interesting to see the lifestyle of Egypt’s royal family before the monarchy ended in 1952.
The collection focuses on personal jewelry from the Muhammad Ali dynasty, including pieces made by European jewelers like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Look out for King Farouk’s gold chess set, Queen Farida’s tiara, and Princess Samiha’s emeralds—each item has its own backstory tied to Egypt’s modern royal history.
Fort Qaitbey sits at the edge of Alexandria’s eastern harbor, built in 1477 by Sultan Qaitbey on the same ground where the Lighthouse of Alexandria once stood. It’s a key piece of the city’s medieval history and still feels impressive when you walk up to it.
The structure is solid—thick stone walls, guard towers, and arched gates that were designed to hold off naval attacks. Inside, there’s a small maritime museum with items pulled from the nearby sea, but most people come to climb around the structure and take in the view.
The upper levels give you wide views over the Mediterranean, and it’s easy to imagine why this was such a strategic point. It’s what to do in Alexandria if you're in need of a good slow walk.
Known locally as the Sayed Darwish Theatre, the Alexandria Opera House has been a fixture of the city since 1918, when it first opened as the Mohamed Ali Theater. The building itself has a grand neoclassical look—columns out front, elegant details inside—and was restored in the 1960s. Since then, it’s been part of Egypt’s national network of performance venues.
The building itself has a certain charm: red velvet seats, painted ceilings, and strong acoustics that work well for music and theater. Performances range from orchestral concerts and Arabic music to contemporary dance and plays, with both local and international acts. Even if you’re not a regular concertgoer, it’s worth checking the schedule.
This museum is a good place to dig into Alexandria’s history during the Greek and Roman periods. It opened in the late 1800s and recently reopened after years of renovation, now displaying more than 40,000 artifacts across 27 galleries.
Inside, you’ll find everything from mosaics and sculptures to ancient coins and painted mummies. The Tanagra figurines and the Apis Bull statue are standouts, but what really makes this museum interesting is how it shows the blend of traditions—like Greek-style portraits on Egyptian coffins or Roman art with local motifs.
Expect to see statues, coins, mosaics, glasswork, and a few well-preserved mummies that reflect this cultural overlap. Some pieces stand out—the Tanagra figurines and Apis Bull sculpture, for example—but the main takeaway is how these different influences shaped Alexandria’s identity over time.
If you’re curious about how ancient cultures mixed in everyday life—art, religion, burial customs—it’s one of the best things to do in Alexandria.
Alexandria, Egypt © Pixabay
If you’re in Alexandria, eating seafood along the Corniche is pretty much a must. These restaurants line the waterfront and serve whatever’s fresh from the local markets that day. The setup is straightforward—some have counters where you pick your fish, others just bring you a plate of grilled sea bass, fried calamari, or spicy shrimp alongside mezze and warm bread.
The atmosphere is relaxed and sometimes busy, especially in the evenings. You’ll hear the waves, smell the grills going, and probably stay longer than you planned. It’s not about fancy plating—it’s about sitting near the sea with good food.
Sailing on a felucca at sunset is one of the best things to do in Alexandria. These traditional wooden sailboats have been part of life on the Nile and the Mediterranean for centuries, and you can still ride them today along the city’s waterfront. They are especially nice for a ride as the sun sets over the Mediterranean.
The ride itself is slow and quiet. There's no engine—just sails, the sound of the water, and a captain who usually steers using skills passed down through generations. Some captains will chat and share stories; others let the experience speak for itself. Either way, it's a good way to unwind and take in views of the coastline, and is a classic way to get around in Egypt.
If you're in town during Ramadan, timing your sail for sunset means you’ll catch iftar along the corniche, easily one of the best things to do in Alexandria.
El Maamoura Beach is a good choice when you need a break from the city center. It’s on the eastern edge of Alexandria and tends to be quieter and cleaner than the beaches closer to downtown, especially if you go on a weekday.
The beach is popular with local families, and there’s a relaxed feel to it—gentle waves, shallow water, and plenty of space to swim or just hang out. You’ll find cafés serving seafood and cold drinks, and in the evening the promenade picks up with street musicians, families out for walks, and snack vendors.
It’s especially nice in spring or early autumn, when the weather’s mild and crowds are thinner. Early mornings are great here too. This is one of the better beaches in Egypt.
The Serapeum was once one of Alexandria’s main temple complexes, dedicated to Serapis—a deity created to unify Greek and Egyptian beliefs. Today, the structure is mostly gone, but you can still walk among the ruins and see some of the underground chambers that made up the original site.
The most striking part is a tall red granite column—known as “Pompey’s Pillar”—that’s still standing. It’s the only major ancient monument in Alexandria that hasn’t been moved from where it was first built. Around the site, there are tunnels and crypts you can enter, which give a good sense of how large and important the temple once was.
The open layout makes it a bit more relaxed than some of the city’s other sites. There’s also a nilometer here—a clever ancient tool used to measure how much the Nile had flooded each year.
Café Trianon is one of the older cafés in Alexandria, with roots going back to 1905. It’s in a central location and still has the look and feel of another era—marble tables, big mirrors, and a slightly faded charm.
This was the kind of place where writers, artists, and thinkers used to gather. Naguib Mahfouz and Constantine Cavafy were regulars. These days, it’s still a nice place to take a break with a coffee or pastry.
It’s a relaxed setting if you want to read, write, or just take a quiet pause during the day. Try to go mid-morning or early afternoon and it's one of the best things to do in Alexandria. The om ali here is a classic choice—warm, sweet, and filling.
Ready to see Egypt? For ideas for your trip, see our sample 10 days Egypt itinerary.
written by
Dre Roelandt
updated 03.06.2025
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